Dick’s Sporting Goods, a major firearms dealer with 675 stores in the U.S., has decided to end the sale of Modern Sporting Rifles (MSRs) – often incorrectly referred to as ‘assault rifles’ – as well as “high capacity” ammunition magazines in all of its retail outlets. The retail giant will also stop selling firearms of any type to individuals under the age of 21. Currently, federal regulations allow for the sale of rifles and shotguns to buyers over the age of 18, whereas the minimum age to purchase a handgun is 21.

In the past, Dick’s Sporting Goods has ended the sale of MSRs in its stores, but later continued sales in Field And Stream locations. CEO Edward Stack has stated that this time the policy changes will be permanent.

Additional details can be found in the NY Times story below.

Dick’s Sporting Goods, Major Gun Retailer, Will Stop Selling Assault-Style Rifles 

JULIE CRESWELL FEB. 28, 2018 – NY Times

One of the nation’s largest sports retailers, Dick’s Sporting Goods, said Wednesday morning it was immediately ending sales of all assault-style rifles in its stores.

The retailer also said that it would no longer sell high-capacity magazines and that it would not sell any gun to anyone under 21 years of age, regardless of local laws.

The announcement, made two weeks after the school shooting in Parkland, Fla., that killed 17 students and staff members, is one of the strongest stances taken by corporate America in the national gun debate. It also carries symbolic weight, coming from a prominent national gunseller.

Late last week, after coming under attack on social media for their ties to the National Rifle Association, a number of major companies, including Hertz car rental, MetLife insurance and Delta Air Lines, publicly ended those relationships, issuing brief, carefully phrased statements.

But Edward Stack, the 63-year-old chief executive of Dick’s whose father founded the store in 1948, is deliberately steering his company directly into the storm, making clear that the company’s new policy was a direct response to the Florida shooting.

Mr. Stack said Dick’s remained a staunch supporter of the Second Amendment and will continue to sell a variety of sport and hunting firearms. Although he has never been a member of the N.R.A., Mr. Stack said he is, in fact, a gun owner and enjoys trapshooting clay targets.

It is unclear what financial impact the decision will have on Dick’s business. Neither Dick’s nor its competitor, Cabela’s, now owned by Bass Pro Shops, have broken out firearm sales in their financial reports. But last August, Dick’s shares plummeted after it said weak results from its hunting segment resulted in its missing Wall Street’s second-quarter earnings estimates.

Read the full story at NYTimes.com

About Dick’s Sporting Goods

DICK’S Sporting Goods, Inc. is a leading omnichannel sporting goods retailer offering an extensive assortment of authentic, high-quality sports equipment, apparel, footwear and accessories. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the Company also owns and operates Golf Galaxy, Field & Stream, True Runner and Chelsea Collective specialty stores.